Celebrities join forces for Haiti

Musicians and celebrities are joining forces to help raise emergency funds for those left destitute by the devastating Haitian earthquake.

Damon Albarn, Coldplay and the Arctic Monkeys have come together to put on a special auction to raise funds for Oxfam's emergency response.

And an international benefit concert boasting some of the music world's biggest stars will take place in the UK and United States at an unspecified date.

Items in the auction include an offer from Damon Albarn to record a specially written piece of music, the iconic blonde Fender Stratocaster played by Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner in the band's first video and Coldplay singer Chris Martin's signed Viva La Vida tour jacket. The auction goes live on eBay at 9am today and runs for ten days.

The auction has been set up by Oxfam and Glastonbury Festival organiser Emily Eavis, who said: "Just like the millions of people who have already given so generously to the DEC appeal for Haiti, we felt it was important to do whatever we could to help as quickly as possible.

"We hope people will dig deep for some of these amazing auction prizes and help Oxfam to save lives in Haiti at the same time.

"I visited Haiti with Oxfam in 2002 and it's the poorest place I've ever been by a long way - it seems doubly unfair that it should be hit by such a devastating earthquake, especially after the hurricanes of the last two years.

"They do not have the resources needed to cope with a disaster of this scale, that is what makes this so much worse."

The global benefit gig boasts some of the biggest names in the music world. Hope For Haiti Now will include performances from Beyonce in London and Madonna in New York.

Other acts include Coldplay, and a group performance by Bono, The Edge, Jay-Z, and Rihanna in London. Wyclef Jean, Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J Blige, Shakira, and Sting will perform in New York, while Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder and others will take to the stage in Los Angeles.